The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners took a significant step on Tuesday by approving a non-discrimination ordinance. This ordinance aims to protect the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups in the county.
Commissioner Matthew Holtkamp was the only one who voted against the measure, as the vote was passed by the commission.
During the meeting, Gwinnett County Attorney, Michael P. Ludwiczak, introduced the ordinance and provided insights on how it would operate within the county. He also addressed questions raised by the attendees regarding the implementation of the item.
During Holtkamp’s inquiry about functionality, Ludwiczak emphasized that the ordinance is intended to serve in specific scenarios where federal or state non-discrimination laws fail to offer adequate protection or solutions.
Ludwiczak stated that the current ordinance lacks a provision for financial compensation. Its main purpose is to establish a process for investigating ethics complaints against public accommodations or private businesses that engage in discriminatory practices. The review process, however, is informal in nature.
Ludwiczak emphasized that the ordinance is designed to protect business owners from baseless complaints that could harm their operations.
After the ordinance was passed, Georgia Equality announced that Gwinnett County had become the 18th jurisdiction in Georgia to provide protection to residents, employees, and visitors. With this new ordinance, nearly one million individuals in Georgia will be shielded from discrimination in both employment and public accommodations. This brings the total number of people protected by local ordinances in Georgia to 2.2 million.
Commissioner Kirkland Carden stated that the current county code amendment firmly establishes the county’s dedication towards promoting inclusivity and equality.
Carden praised the efforts made by the Law and Planning and Development staff in drafting the ordinance to add article 14 to the Gwinnett County Code of Ordinances. He believes that this will significantly contribute to the protection of civil rights and further reinforce the county’s dedication to promoting equality and inclusivity for all its residents. He also expressed his support for the staff’s continued efforts in enforcing the ordinance. This move is a great way to kick off pride month festivities.
